Sitting is not a good thing!

When I stop moving I get tired!  Today I have so much to do and no desire to do it.  So I guess I will try to catch up on my blog as I only do that every few months....or more!

I graduated from BYU-Utah in April-yah! Thanks to so many family, friends, and teachers that pushed me to accomplish my goal.

We spent our summer close to home.  Colby was not impressed with our "staycation", but Ryan and I loved it!  We were able to work on several outside projects that will make fall and winter much more enjoyable with the animals!! We loved going to Stafford Lake (only 20 minutes from our house) and playing there in the afternoons after a long morning of working around the yard. We really enjoyed having the kids cousin, Kali, with us a lot over the summer!  She was like another kid who helped with chores and enjoyed rewards!

                                                 Colby was not enjoy the aroma in the barn!

Wow! So clean!

Thanks for your help, Kali! She and Brook were sweeping out the rabbit and guinea pig pen.

A reward for a hard days work! Thanks Ry guy! Torrie families like to work hard so they can play hard!

Unfortunately, we did have several storms this summer that did some damage at the lake...

                          I guess theses trees were supposed to be cut down a few years ago anyway...

                                               Hmmm a seadoo...on the rocks???

We saw some ducks in the water after the storm...or so I thought.  Brooklyn said it was a bird and jumped in to rescue it.  She was right...it was a dove that had been thrown around in the storm.  She took care of it through the night until it was strong enough to fly away the next morning!  She LOVES animals...have I told you that before??

We had a weak moment and made an impulse buy and welcomed "little" Lucy (a great Pyrenees) into our funny farm family.  She is four months old and already as big as our full grown border collie.  Lucy is expected to get much bigger...She's very sweet and doesn't jump OR RUN AWAY FROM HOME!  She has been great at watching out for us and the other animals-especially helping Minnie stay home.  They even each other out!  

                                                            Awe! WE LOVE LUCY!

                              Awe! So much fun...until the dog gets motion sick and pukes! NICE!

Ryan is busy...SURPRISE! On top of every thing else he does he has starting a foundation in our town of Taber.  His dream as been to have all different religions in our town working together for a common goal.  Well, after sharing his dream with the OR staff and other friends TANGO (Taber Assisting Nations through Global Outreach) was born.  Long story short people of all different faiths are coming together to travel to Fiji this year, Guatemala next year, and Mexico somewhere in between that to build schools and to provide medical, dental, and vision care.  After a garage sale and big fundraising BBQ hundreds of Taberites have joined in the cause and donated over $40, 000 to the cause!  We have an incredible community.  All of the people going are paying their own way and paying for their stay.  All the money will go to supplies to build the schools and provide the medical care needed.  With the overwhelming amount of support the foundation has received they wanted to give back to Taber and encourage future involvement.  They are working on a scholarship fund to pay for a local high school and university student to go on the next trip!  Wow!  Isn't that neat!  My husband is so humble and credits his nursing staff and co-workers for all their hard work and involvement!  

You can read about it here:

http://www.tabertimes.com/news/local-news/2579-tango-offering-medical-expertise-in-fiji.html

And this is their website:

http://thetangofoundation.ca/

Brayden got braces this summer and has officially passed me in height! I know-not too hard to do, but still!

He plays the piano in Priesthood Quorum, plays the trombone in band, and is playing on the Volleyball team at Barnwell.  He is OFFICIALLY in junior high as a grade 7 student! Can't believe it.  He is a super worker and loves to scare me!

Yikes! Didn't realize he needed them this bad!  I should get an updated picture as they look way better already and it has only been three months.  

Tyson is in grade 5 and following close behind Brayden in his love of reading.  I have the toughest time getting him to bed because he wants to "just finish this one chapter".  Tyson is excited to be going on a camp with his classmates to Waterton National Park in mid-OCTOBER! Yikes!  I am a lucky parent chaperon...

Brooklyn and Colby are in grade 3.  Brook is clogging and in painting lessons.  Both of them have joined the school choir with Tyson, and are in piano lessons again.  I love hearing music through out the house! 

Big day this summer was Brooklyn and Colby's baptism in July!  They are so grown up!  Colby wasn't sure it was the choice he wanted to make right now so I encouraged him to pray about it.  He also had a great visit with our Bishop as part of the interview process.  After that he said he felt the Spirit and chose to be baptized with Brook.  Agency is scary at times when we parents know certain things!  I am so glad I gave him the choice because otherwise he may not have had the experience of receiving that answer from Heavenly Father on his own.  Force is not part of the gospel plan! 

                                                             Our family and my parents.

                                                               So sweet! Colby is so tall!

Have I ever said how AMAZING my mother is!  She made Brooklyn's dress and Colby's tie to match! Someday...maybe I'll learn (-:

With school is back in and I am just as busy as I was when the kids were home all summer! I am PAC president, in YW still, now officially in charge of Ryan's business books and catching up on them, enjoying visiting Gma Great to help her with her physical therapy, and starting to can peaches and pears!  Life is good and I hope to be a little more consistent with this blog...but if not...oh well!